033. Ocean (3)
At Lucia’s whisper, Owen flinched and turned to her.
Her red eyes, meeting his, were softly curved.
“You don’t seem that tired.”
Accompanied by a pretty smile, her enchanting voice flowed.
“I want to stay with Owen for our whole journey.”
The white hand that held his rose up to his arm.
“Is that okay?”
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Even as her hand clung to his arm, Owen’s gaze couldn’t stray from her eyes.
Quietly and directly, their gazes met.
At the firm end of her unwavering, deep gaze, Owen’s response was limited.
“…Of course.”
As Owen gave an affirmative answer, the butler promptly spoke up.
“I will arrange for tea in the drawing-room.”
“Alright.”
“I will also show you to Your Highness’s chambers.”
After a brief rest, teatime was naturally scheduled.
Perhaps the rest would last until the servants finished preparing tea and snacks in the drawing-room.
The butler headed straight for the fourth floor.
Following Lucia’s brief farewell, Owen left a short greeting and followed the butler.
“This is it.”
Owen’s assigned room was starkly different from Lucia’s.
While her room had a vast sea view through large windows, his room was bare.
Outside the average-sized window, buildings of Ocean were visible instead of the sea.
The furnishings were overly neat, lacking any decorations that would befit a noble’s chamber.
“The library is right across.”
Being close to the library, one could guess why this room was prepared.
Owen, a workaholic, didn’t really believe he would truly rest at the villa.
‘Naturally. Wherever he goes, work follows. Unless it’s for business reasons, he wouldn’t have gone to another region.’
Walking around the room, Owen pondered, then turned towards the window.
Gazing out at the sunny landscape beyond the window, it all felt so real again.
This place, with its unreal beauty spread out before him, felt like a world from a novel.
“I’ll go out for a bit.”
“If you need anything, please call for me.”
“Alright.”
Watching the outside view quietly, Owen dismissed the butler.
The butler, having completed his tasks, bowed politely, opened the door, and left the room without a sound.
Glancing at the closed door, Owen turned back to look outside.
‘…I’m practically in the same modern era as her.’
Although Owen always carried work wherever he went due to being a workaholic, it was also because he had so much to do.
Between the tasks of a Viscount and the business under the Viscount’s name, there was hardly any time to rest.
Fortunately, with his sharp mind and the privileges of being a male lead in a romance novel, he managed his tasks swiftly.
‘Work must be done.’
Though he and she were different people, the tasks at hand were the same.
While there was some time to make room for meeting Lucia, the rest of the time had to be spent on work.
That was the only way to manage it all.
Thanks to that, sometimes he felt like he wanted to organize some of those many businesses.
‘…Ah.’
Lost in his thoughts, Owen paused again.
‘It wouldn’t hurt to organize, now that I think about it.’
It wasn’t like him to be fixated on work.
Even amidst his considerable wealth on the continent, there was no reason to carry so much on his plate.
He wasn’t short on money, nor was he greedy for business.
‘Why have I never thought about doing that before?’
He had kept up with all those businesses, seemingly effortlessly.
Surely, there was an option to streamline the businesses, yet he hadn’t even considered that fact.
‘…What on earth.’
His head began to throb.
The excitement he had felt upon entering ＜The Empire’s Flower＞ had vanished without a trace, like bubbles popping.
Accepting the reality of being inside a novel and the anticipation of meeting Lucía as Owen felt like a distant memory from long ago.
Now all that remained was anxiety, restlessness, and the emotions he harbored for Lucía.
There were many things to do, and the future he knew had changed.
Discovering facts he shouldn’t have known and unfamiliar memories and emotions tormented him.
“…Lucía.”
With a throbbing head, Owen whispered her name while leaning against the window.
The name that slipped out dispersed into thin air.
“Lucía….”
A memory of her red hair fluttering in the wind came to mind.
Her smiling ruby-colored eyes were there too.
Owen calmly closed and opened his eyes.
Clear memories, not of him but of her, of the time spent with Lucía, quickly surfaced and disappeared.
‘Don’t dwell on it. It’s a problem with no answer.’
While it was worth pondering, there was no reason for it to be his concern now.
Wiping philosophical thoughts from his dizzy mind, all that remained was her.
‘Because I wanted to give her what she desires.’
What I desired was Lucía’s happiness.
Contrary to the contents of ＜The Empire’s Flower＞, giving her a happy and secure future.
Readily bestowing upon her everything she desired.
Even if it meant being ‘Owen’.
Now that I was him.
I could willingly, gladly do so.
Regardless of what he might be, I was someone who could gladly do anything for her.
Since before coming to this world, Lucía had breathed life into his existence, and after coming here, she became the purpose of his life.
Yes, that’s right.
Everything else was merely incidental.
Even if the original path deviated, such matters were insignificantly unimportant.
The memories of ‘Owen’ that confronted me were perplexing and troublesome, but it was fine as long as I only saw Lucía.
As long as no issues arose from that.
Whatever changes may come, it would be fine.
Owen came to that conclusion.
***
As tea and pastries were prepared, the butler entered and escorted Owen to the reception room.
Originally a space for welcoming and entertaining guests, today it was arranged for a different purpose, suitable for having tea.
Despite the tight schedule, the table was elegantly set with pastries.
Several types of cookies, appearing to have been baked in advance, and seasonal fruits neatly arranged on plates.
“This place also offers a direct view of the sea.”
Lucía, seated opposite Owen, remarked as she gazed out the window.
The reception room, like her words, had a window facing the sea.
Thanks to that, a view of a white sandy beach stretched directly before their eyes.
Beyond that, the deep blue sea extended all the way to the horizon.
“Do you like it?”
Owen inquired as he observed Lucía gazing at the sea intently.
Seeing her continuously looking at the sea since arriving at Ocean’s Villa, it seemed she truly enjoyed the sea.
“Yes, I like it. Very much.”
Lucía replied honestly.
In fact, from the moment the carriage entered Ocean, Lucía had a hunch.
This place would be so beautiful that she would want it desperately.
The blue-tinted roofs, houses made of white bricks, and the city-like scenery near the sea were all so, which confirmed her hunch.
And that intuition of hers turned out to be spot on.
Ocean’s beach and the Duke of Verdin’s mansion were excessively beautiful.
To the point of wanting them.
“I never thought the sea would be this beautiful.”
It was regrettable.
To have lived without knowing such a view for a lifetime.
If I had known, I would have bought a house by the seaside long ago.
“I haven’t heard this kind of thing in newspapers or magazines.”
Owen chuckled at the muttered words and asked, “To the extent of wanting it?”
The expression “wanting it” was the highest praise Lucia could give.
It meant being so beautiful that one would want to possess it.
“Yes, it’s that beautiful.”
“Then I’m fortunate.”
At Owen’s words of fortune, Lucia, who had been gazing out the window, turned her head.
Her red-eyed gaze shifted towards Owen.
It was a puzzled look as to what was fortunate.
“If you desire it to that extent, it means you find it very appealing.”
“….”
“Isn’t that so?”
“…Yes.”
Lucia suppressed her surprise with effort.
As she hesitantly replied, Owen continued, “It’s fortunate then. I truly hoped you would find it appealing.”
Lucia couldn’t say anything in response to his words followed by a smile.
It was astonishing that he understood her so well.
Furthermore, he found it pleasing and fortunate.
It was so surprising that it made Lucia wonder if this was the Owen she knew.
“When the sun begins to set, head to the seaside. It may be right in front of us, but facing it directly is far more beautiful than seeing it through the window.”
Even though Lucia was speechless with surprise, Owen calmly continued speaking.
In his gesture of touching the teacup while describing the sea, a clear intention was reflected.
‘Ah.’
He was deliberately showing things that would appeal to me.
And he was carefully selecting them.
‘So the gifts I’ve received until now….’
It was a belated realization.
Although there had been several occasions where I could have understood his feelings, I was locked into his previous actions and mindset, unable to perceive it.
‘He was only selecting things that would appeal to me. And even the bedroom earlier was tailored to my taste.’
It was a moment of certainty.
What he had mentioned at the hunting competition about not understanding those feelings.
Regardless of what he truly felt, it made me think that he loved me.
Because he liked me.
But….
‘If he already likes me.’
Providing assurance to someone who already has a liking for you was easy.
Lucia had a talent for such things.
But what if he actually liked me?
If he just hadn’t realized it himself.
‘Maybe he has never liked anyone before, so he doesn’t know.’
Of course, it wouldn’t be easy.
Being someone who doesn’t even understand the feeling of love or liking, like me.
I had to make him realize the basics and gain confidence.
I had to convince him of love.
And that was undoubtedly a difficult task.
Perhaps Owen didn’t believe in love.
“Lucia?”
At the sound of his voice calling my name, Lucia finally turned to face him again.
The way he gently tilted his head was as beautiful as ever.
His fine black hair sparkled in the sunlight pouring in through the window, and his deep, straight black eyes were more captivating than any noble gem.
Even his perfectly shaped and colored nose, his unrealistically perfect lips, his well-defined and high cheekbones, and his large and beautiful hands holding the teacup.
He was flawless in every detail.
The beauty of the sea that greeted me today was enchanting, but it could not compare to the man before me.
“Yes, Owen.”
Lucia replied with a bright smile.
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If he likes me, then I must do whatever it takes to make him aware of his feelings.
what a dedication lucia